The present invention relates to a cartridge loading device and, more particularly, to a cartridge loading device for loading a cartridge, which includes a case having locking notches at the front bottom portions of both of its side faces, an information recording tape wound around a pair of reels, and a drive roller (driven by the drive unit) for rotating the reels, into an information recording/reproducing apparatus having a drive unit.
Apparatuses such as a tape recorder and a data recorder, in which information is written in and read from an information recording tape (magnetic tape, etc.) incorporated in a cartridge, include a cartridge loading device for loading the cartridge into the main body of the apparatus. The cartridge under consideration is constituted as shown in FIGS. 9-11(b). The cartridge, in which the information recording tape is housed, is called a "data cartridge", for example.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the whole appearance of a data cartridge 5. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the front portion of the data cartridge 5. Side faces of a case 4 of the cartridge 5 have guide grooves 41a and 41b, and locking notches 42a and 42b (notch 42b not shown in the figure) formed in the front portions of the bottom walls of the guide grooves 41a and 41b. The case 44 has, on its front side, openings 44c and 44d adjacent to each other, and the opening 44d is provided with a cover 43. The peripheral surface of a drive roller 45 provided in the case 44 is exposed from the opening 44c. The cover 43 is rotatably supported at the front corner of the case 44. The cover 43 is normally closed to prevent dust from entering the case 44. When an end 43a of the cover 43 is pushed to swing the cover 43 open as shown in FIG. 10, the information recording tape (hereinafter simply called "tape") 46 is exposed from the opening 44d.
The interior of the cartridge 5 is constituted as shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b). A pair of reels 47 and 48, the drive roller 45 and a pair of guide rollers 49 and 50 are rotatably supported by respective shafts in the case 44. The tape 46 runs from the reel 47 to reel 48 and vice versa through tension rollers 51 and 52. A drive belt 53 is wound on the drive roller 45 and the guide rollers 49 and 50, and pressed against the respective outermost turns of the tape 46 wound around the reels 47 and 48. When the drive roller 45 is rotated to move the drive belt 53, the drive belt 53 applies tangential forces to respective portions 46a and 46b of the tape 46 around the reels 47 and 48 to rotate the reels 47 and 48 in the same direction, winding the tape 46 from one of the reels 47 and 48 to the other through the tension rollers 51 and 52. It is understood that, in the cartridge 5 of the above type, the tape 46 provided therein is driven by applying torque to the drive roller 45.
FIG. 12 shows the typical appearance of an apparatus such as a data recorder, which has a built-in tape drive unit, and into which the cartridge 5 is loaded. An insertion opening 102 is formed in the front face of the main body 100 of the apparatus, and a cover 104 for the opening 102 is coupled to the apparatus main body 100 with a hinge at its upper portion. When the data cartridge 5 is inserted through the insertion opening 102 the cover 104 is pushed by the case 44 of the cartridge 5 and is thereby opened. When the cartridge 5 is pulled out of the main body 100, the cover 104 is automatically closed.
A cartridge loading device is disposed in the apparatus main body 100 together with the drive unit for driving the tape 46 in the cartridge 5.
The operational principle of a conventional cartridge loading device for the above cartridge 5 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 13(a)-13(c).
As shown in FIG. 13(a), an arm 111 is rotatably supported by a shaft 112 disposed under a loading space 110 into which the cartridge 5 is loaded. A rotatable roller 113 is provided at one end of the arm 111, and a spring 114 for urging the arm 111 downward is connected to the arm 111 at the other end.
The cartridge 5 is inserted through the insertion opening 102 of the apparatus main body 100, and then moves along the loading space 110. When the cartridge 5 has come to the vicinity of its final loaded position, the case 44 of the cartridge 5 advances while pushing down the roller 113, as shown in FIG. 13(b). At that time, the roller 113 is kept in contact with the bottom face of the case 44 by means of the pulling force of the spring 114. When the cartridge 5 has moved to its final loaded position, it is pushed at the edge of the locking notch 42a by the roller 113 due to the pulling force of the spring 114 as shown in FIG. 13(c), so that the cartridge 5 is pushed both upward and forward and locked in the apparatus main body 100.
It is noted that a loading mechanism similar to the one shown in FIG. 13(a) is provided on the opposite side in association with the locking notch 42b.
On the other hand, in the unloading operation, first the bottom face of the case 44 rides onto the roller 113, and then the cartridge 5 retreats along the loading space 110 to be pulled out of the insertion opening 102 of the apparatus main body 100.
However, the conventional cartridge loading device of the above type has a problem that it is difficult to reduce the thickness or height of the apparatus in which the loading device is incorporated. This is because the cartridge-locking mechanism including the arm 111, roller 113 and spring 114 is provided under the loading space 110, and the cartridge 5 is pushed up from its underside by a pushing member such as the roller 113.